Towed implement with a steering system having both wheel assemblies and coulters

Abstract

An implement, adapted to be towed by a vehicle, has a frame and a plurality of ground engaging tools carried by the frame. Support wheel assemblies carried by the frame are moveable relative the frame to raise and lower the frame between working and non-working positions in which in the working position, the tools engage the ground, and in the non-working position, the tools do not engage the ground. Each wheel assembly is mounted for rotation about a respective wheel steering axis. Coulters are also mounted to the frame and are engagable with the ground only in the working position of the frame. Each coulter is mounted to the frame for rotation about a respective coulter steering axis. Finally, a steering mechanism is operable to turn the wheel assemblies and the coulters each about their respective steering axes to steer the implement.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An implement adapted to be towed by a vehicle comprising:
 a frame 
 a plurality of ground engaging tools carried by the frame 
 a plurality of support wheel assemblies carried by the frame and moveable relative the frame to raise and lower the frame between working and non-working positions in which in the working position the tools engage the ground and in the non-working position the tools do not engage the ground, each wheel assembly mounted to the frame for rotation about a respective wheel steering axis; 
 a plurality of coulters mounted to the frame and engagable with the ground in the working position and not engagable with the ground in the non-working position, each coulter mounted to the frame for rotation about a respective coulter steering axis; and 
 a steering mechanism operable to turn the wheel assemblies and the coulters each about their respective steering axes to steer the implement. 
 
     
     
       2. The implement of  claim 1  wherein the steering system includes an actuator that is operable to turn at least a portion of the wheel assemblies and at least a portion of the coulters about their respective steering axes. 
     
     
       3. An implement adapted to be towed by a vehicle comprising:
 a frame 
 a plurality of ground engaging tools carried by the frame 
 a plurality of carriage assemblies pivotally mounted to the frame, each carriage assembly having a wheel assembly to support the implement, the carriage assemblies being pivotally mounted to the frame to raise and lower the frame between a working position in which the tools engage the ground and a non-working position in which the tools are raised from the ground, each wheel assembly mounted to the respective carriage assembly for rotation about a wheel steering axis; 
 each of the carriage assemblies further having a coulter that engages the ground in the working position and which is raised from the ground in the non-working position, each coulter mounted to the carriage assembly for rotation about a respective coulter steering axis; and 
 a steering mechanism operable to turn the wheel assemblies and the coulters about their respective steering axes to steer the implement whereby only the wheel assemblies are operable to steer in the non-working position and both the wheel assemblies and coulters are operable to steer the implement in the working position. 
 
     
     
       4. The implement of  claim 3  wherein each carriage assembly includes a rocker arm pivotally mounted to the frame at a location intermediate the ends of the rocker arm with a wheel assembly attached to one end of the rocker arm and a coulter attached to the other end of the rocker arm. 
     
     
       5. The implement of  claim 3  wherein the steering mechanism includes a tie rod coupled to the wheel assemblies and coulters of two or more carriage assemblies and a linear actuator to move the tie rod to turn the wheel assemblies and coulters about their respective steering axes. 
     
     
       6. The implement of  claim 5  wherein each of the wheel assemblies and coulters has a steering arm coupled thereto which is connected to the tie rod to turn the wheel assemblies and coulters about their respective steering axes as the tie rod is moved. 
     
     
       7. The implement of  claim 6  wherein the steering arms coupled to the wheel assemblies extend forwardly relative to the wheel steering axis and the steering arms coupled to the coulters extend rearwardly relative to the coulter steering axis with the tie rod extending laterally of the implement between the wheel assemblies and the coulters. 
     
     
       8. An implement adapted to be towed by a vehicle comprising:
 a frame 
 a plurality of ground engaging tools carried by the frame 
 a plurality of wheel assemblies supporting the frame above the ground and moveable relative the frame to raise and lower the frame between working and non-working positions in which in the working position the tools engage the ground and in the non-working position the tools do not engage the ground; 
 a plurality of coulters carried by the frame and engaged with the ground when the frame is the working position and not engaged with the ground when the frame is in the non-working position; 
 a steering system adapted to turn the wheel assemblies and the coulters to steer the implement, the steering system having an actuator coupled to both wheel assemblies and coulters to turn both wheel assemblies and coulters. 
 
     
     
       9. The implement of  claim 8  wherein at least a portion of the wheel assemblies and a portion of the coulters are paired with one another with one wheel assembly associated with one coulter. 
     
     
       10. The implement of  claim 9  further comprising a rocker arm pivotally coupled to the frame with one of the paired wheel assembly and coulter mounted thereto with the wheel assembly and the coulter on opposite sides of the pivotal connection relative to one another such that in the non-working position, the wheel assembly engages the ground and in the working position, both the wheel assembly and the coulter engage the ground. 
     
     
       11. The implement of  claim 10  further comprising a tie rod coupled to both the wheel assembly and coulter of one of the pairs of wheels assemblies and coulters to steer both the wheel assembly and coulter. 
     
     
       12. The implement of  claim 11  wherein the wheel assembly is mounted to the rocker arm to turn about a wheel steering axis and the counter is mounted to the rocker arm to turn about a coulter steering axis and
 further comprising a wheel steering arm coupled to the wheel assembly and extending radially relative to the wheel steering axis and a coulter steering arm coupled to the coulter and extending radially relative to the coulter steering axis; and 
 wherein the tie rod is coupled to both the wheel steering and the coulter steering arms to enable turning of the wheel assembly and the coulter about their respective steering axes upon movement of the tie rod. 
 
     
     
       13. The implement of  claim 12  wherein the tie rod extends laterally of the implement between the wheel assembly and the coulter with the wheel steering arm and the coulter steering arms extending fore and aft generally toward one another and further comprising a switching linkage between the tie rod and one of the wheel and coulter steering arms to enable both the wheel assembly and the coulter to turn in the same direction upon movement of the tie rod. 
     
     
       14. The implement of  claim 13  wherein the switching linkage includes a connecting link pivotally mounted to the frame and connected at one end to the tie rod and at the other end to one of the wheel steering arm and the coulter steering arm.